LDS Tools no longer updating or available on Kindle

25 postsstarted by lamxu01 13,117 viewsoriginal topic

New Member
#1
My ld s tools all quit updating this past weekend in my Kindle Fire 8 hdx. I delete the app and was going to reinstall, but it is no longer available in the Amazon Appstore. Please advise.
LS
Community Administrator
#2
At the moment, you're out of luck. There enough of a difference between Android and Kindle OS that some changes have to be made. When and if they'll be made is unclear.

The product managers already have access to information that shows how many members have been inconvenienced.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
New Member
#3
Same problem here--it was so convenient. Now, not so much, as I have to access it by going online--through kindle fire--more cumbersome.
New Member
#4
If Amazon is not going to support the lds tools app I will need to buy a Samsung tablet.
Senior Member
#5
raygene wrote:If Amazon is not going to support the lds tools app I will need to buy a Samsung tablet.
Or another brand running plain Android. There are other good tablets out there. I have an older Samsung tablet and have liked it overall (it won't run current LDSTools so I do without the ministering information now), but it is wise to explore options with ever-changing technology. Those I know who own Ipads love them, but that is normally a higher-cost option for the same functionality (my personal opinion only).

Often the advice is to purchase an older device as they are lower cost. The trade-off is it will be abandoned sooner and require a replacement sooner. My device runs just fine so I won't be replacing it right away - I can always revert to the methods I have employed for many, many years to manage my callings (*gasp* paper and a pencil).
New Member
#6
I can't get LDS TOOLS to work on my Kindle Fire either. So I deleted the app, and after a couple of hours of wasted time in trying to reinstall I found this forum.
Would have saved me some time and a lot less frustration if there was something posted on the LDS.org website of this not working for the kindle. I won't be buying another tablet just to make this work. Hope they can get this fixed soon.
New Member
#7
To LDS tech, please make the tools app available for the Kindle Fire!
Community Moderators
#8
JamesWarren44 wrote:To LDS tech, please make the tools app available for the Kindle Fire!
This is a user-to-user forum. The few Church employees who sometimes visit the forums are here basically not on official business. There's a chance somebody who can have an influence might see your post, but there's no guarantee.

Your request will be more likely to have an influence if you use an official help/support channel for LDS Tools. If you can't find anything more precisely targeted, you could use the Feedback link at https://www.lds.org/
New Member
#9
Will lds tools be available for kindle fire any time soon?
New Member
#10
I hope you get an LDS Tools app ready and updated for kindle again. I much prefer using my Kindle rather than my phone.
New Member
#11
I am sorry I purchased my new tablet 8. I purchased this strictly for my LDS Gospel Library and all other learning tools. I have recently become a member of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints", 2 weeks ago. Had I known certain Apps are in issue with your product I would have made a different choice.
Senior Member
#12
gloriajf1952 wrote:I am sorry I purchased my new tablet 8. I purchased this strictly for my LDS Gospel Library and all other learning tools. I have recently become a member of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints", 2 weeks ago. Had I known certain Apps are in issue with your product I would have made a different choice.
I believe Gospel Library still works on the Kindle (I don't own a Kindle so am just going on memory from other posts). This thread is about LDSTools which is not used for gospel study. LDSTools is the app that lists the members of your ward, your ministering assignments, who the ward leaders are, etc.

Newer Kindles run an Android OS version that "should" meet the minimum LDSTools requirement for OS version, but the Kindle OS is highly customized and there may be something that makes it difficult for the church to support it on LDSTools with the very small development team they have (I don't think anyone on this user-to-user help forum knows for sure, based on reading most of the posts on this subject).
New Member
#13
I am able to get LDS tools on my phone (Samsung)
New Member
#14
I am looking to updating my tablet wanting to find out the best for operating gospel library, lds tools, and family tree could anyone give me some advice on what size of tablet and the size. I just purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab E lite 7" 8 GB Tablet- Android 4.4 (Kit Kat) it will support the gospel library but not lds tools. Advice please!!
Community Administrator
#15
parryraylene1 wrote:I just purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab E lite 7" 8 GB Tablet- Android 4.4 (Kit Kat) it will support the gospel library but not lds tools. Advice please!!
I'm surprised that Samsung is still selling devices with Android 4.4. I though it was just the no-name bargain-basement companies that were doing that. As it is, it seems like the "bargain-basement" types are on 7 (but I'm seeing reports of speed and display issues.)

You need to find something with a newer OS. Preferably Android 8 or 9. At least get 7.

Looking at BestBuy's website, it appears you can get a DigiLand - 10.1" for the same price as it's selling the Samsung Galaxy Tab E lite 7" and the reviews seem to rate it equally as well. I know nothing about the brand. I'm just going by what I see on the website.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
Senior Member
#16
parryraylene1 wrote:I am looking to updating my tablet wanting to find out the best for operating gospel library, lds tools, and family tree could anyone give me some advice on what size of tablet and the size. I just purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab E lite 7" 8 GB Tablet- Android 4.4 (Kit Kat) it will support the gospel library but not lds tools. Advice please!!
You should first check if you can update the OS. I am not familiar with this model, but you should be able to go into your settings and check for OS updates. If the hardware will support Android 5, you might be able to update it at no charge.

Purchasing an older tablet will be lower cost, but it will likely be abandoned by the OS manufacturer sooner. You should consider that in your decision - if an OS is already half-way to obsolescence (and could then lose access to LDSTools due to unpatched security problems), it might be worth it to you to spend a little more and have a tablet that will last a year or two longer before it will have to be replaced.
Community Moderators
#17
I second russellhltn's suggestion. Android 4.4 is an old version of Android from 2013, and it doesn't support the latest security standards or Android APIs. I wouldn't recommend any operating system version below Android 6.

LDS Tools and Gospel Library will likely support Android 5 for 1–2 more years, Android 6 for 2–3 more years, and so on. Android 7, 8, or 9 would be even better, but may be more expensive.
Samuel Bradshaw • If you desire to serve God, you are called to the work.
New Member
#18
If it doesn't take the tools i will be getting ride of it ASAP!!!!!!
#19
I would love to have member tools back on my kindle fire. I used to get it but can not use it what is the problem?
Member
#20
Just for the record, Kindle Fires are pretty much the most available tablet in the USA to those who are on a tight budget. It would be pretty nice if it were supported (not just based on actual usage, but based on availability). Also, it's not just the Kindle Fire we would be supporting if we made Member Tools available for it. We would also be supporting Android devices that don't come with Google Play (and there are lots of those). True, you can install Google Play yourself on such a device, but it's against Google's terms of service (or similar), unless you're an authorized manufacturer: Therefore, installing Google Play on a device yourself is probably illegal. We believe in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law; so, I don't think we should encourage people to install it. However, the Amazon app store can be installed for free (legally) on pretty much everything.

Even if we don't support the Kindle Fire, we can at least release the apk for the app instead of requiring Google Play to install it (while still offering it on Google Play, too, of course).

I personally use a Kindle Fire as my only mobile device, and that has been the case since about 2011 (and yes, I use it a lot).

It's also worth noting that a lot of the people who use Kindle Fires are probably under the age of 18 (when people mass buy a tablet, with one for each of their kids, they don't always get them $400 iPads—that's just not always an option). I'm not sure how important Member Tools is for teenagers and younger, but it would be nice to help them feel included.
New Member
#21
Why did you give the many kindle users the boot. I cannot afford a host of tablets to please everyone out there. My eyes are too poor to do these things on an android cell phone. Maybe I should use months of tithing to conform with ios snobbery. I have been without LDS tools for two years now. It worked just fine before the big exclusion.
New Member
#22
Please get LDS Tool for
Kindle
Thanks
New Member
#23
This is really bad for anyone who has a calling that requires them to take class rolls. I can't see well enough to do it on my phone and now I can't do it on my Kindle. I really don't want to have to buy another device. I'm kind of at an impasse.
Senior Member
#24
Regarding the past few posts (and potential future similar posts), please be aware that this Forum is essentially member-to-member self-help, and not connected to the Church's IT department. So while many other Forum members may share your feelings, there's nothing anyone here can do to effect change. There's a slim chance that a Church employee may see repeated posts about a subject (like this about returning Tools onto Kindle), but posting about things here is unlikely to reach the decision-makers in Church IT. Your best bet is to submit Feedback using the standard mechanism (a link at the bottom of most Church webpages).
Church Employee
#25
sclaiborne5 wrote: Sun Jan 15, 2023 9:32 pm This is really bad for anyone who has a calling that requires them to take class rolls. I can't see well enough to do it on my phone and now I can't do it on my Kindle. I really don't want to have to buy another device. I'm kind of at an impasse.
I still use a paper roll and pass it around Elder's Quorum, then I enter the attendance on my computer later. I just haven't been in the ward long enough to know all the elders yet.